Ivy Restaurant
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Overall Rating: Sick Meals (86 out of 100)
49 Temple Place
Boston, MA 02111
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Phone: 617-451-1416
Located in the Ladder District, Ivy Restaurant serves up delicious, Italian-inspired plates, great wine, and reasonable prices - in an energetic, urban environment. Whether you're planning a night at the theater or just want a sick meal in the heart of Boston, Ivy presents an outstanding option.
Our History at Ivy Restaurant
Our first visit to Ivy was on a Friday night at 7:30pm.
Appetizers
Ivy offers small plates and "Per la Tavola" selections, served communal and priced for two. For appetizers, we honed in on two of the communal offerings, choosing Caesar salad and the "Italian butcher block", each for $10.
We received an ample portion of Caesar salad - more than enough for two. The salad included delicious, toasty crostini that tasted soft like a sponge. The Italian butcher block consisted of thin sliced cured salami, prosciutto, soprasatta, and capicolla, served with fresh fig compote and marinated olives.
Another enticing option for the table is "Formaggio", a selection of Italian cheeses, fresh fruits, toasted walnuts, and Tupelo honey, for $14.
Rating: 8.8
Main Dishes
Four large plates, including Steak Fiorentina and pan seared cod, range from $17 to $25. However, we explored Ivy's small plates, covering a wide variety of cuisine and ranging in price from $7 to $12. After careful consideration, we opted for arancini stuffed with prosciutto and fontina, pappardelle with creamy veal ragu, seared scallops and pancetta, and lamb rib chops.
To our surprise, the small plate portions were generous. We received four large arancini, an overflowing bowl of pappardelle, soft, substantial scallops, and three tender lamb rib chops with citrus bean ragu. At $44 for four dishes, we experienced a filling, tasty range of starch, seafood, and beef. We left Ivy ready to plan small plate selections for our next visit - perhaps macaroni and cheese, shrimp arrabbiata, sesame tuna, and petit steak tagliata?
Rating: 9.1
Drinks
Choose from over 60 bottles of wine for just $26 per bottle. Reserves are available for $44, $55, and $77. There are two full bars.
Rating: 9.3
Service
We never quite figured out who was waiting on us. Otherwise, service was average. Plates were cleared a bit too quickly - sometimes before we were finished. Our selection of small plates arrived on the heels of our appetizers.
Rating: 7
Ambiance
Exposed brick, dim lights, and a modern design give Ivy a hip, urban feel. Contemporary music beats in the background; you can feel the pulse of the city as you enjoy sick food and drink. Downstairs, the Cava cocktail lounge provides a cozy setting for a pre- or post-meal cocktail.
Rating: 8.7
Et Cetera
Trivia: Ivy hosts a weekly wine tasting that features four wines, three small plates, and an assortment of fine cheeses. Read more
Menu: Check out the dinner menu
Reservations: Ivy is on OpenTable
Transportation: Valet for $15 or park in a nearby parking garage. The closest T stations are Park Street or Boylston on the Green Line and Chinatown and Downtown Crossing on the Orange Line.
Dress: Casual
Hours: Dinner is served Tuesday and Wednesday from 5pm until 11pm, Thursday and Friday from 5pm until midnight, Saturday from 4pm until midnight, and Sunday from 4pm to 11pm. Ivy is closed on Monday.
Labels: Downtown-Crossing, Italian, Ivy, Sick-Meals
